[4703]
I warmly thank you for your most courteous congratulatory letter of yesterday; and I hope that my promotion to Bishop and Vicar Apostolic of the largest, most populated, demanding and difficult mission in the whole world will prompt your beautiful soul to pray more fervently for me and for my hundred million infidels, entrusted to me by the Holy Apostolic See and who make up a tenth part of the entire human race.
[4704]
And why don’t you and Capretti provide me with a decent number of lay missionaries and Sisters for the Apostolate of Central Africa, since for this purpose I have founded two good Institutes ad hoc in Verona, the African Institute for missionaries and the Institute of the Pious Mothers of Africa, in which the apostolic spirit prevails and which have already provided worthy candidates equal to the mission?
[4705]
Ah, the Gospel saying Nemo Propheta in his own country is unfortunately true! You and our dear Pierino Capretti, between you, send me a dozen from Brescia, whom I will lead into the battlefields to fight the battles of the Lord.
[4706]
Give my greetings to Capretti and your most devout Filippini confrères, to whom you will give the enclosed prayer that I composed under a tree in Central Africa, which meets with all the Vatican’s favour. Give my regards to the Girelli sisters, and believe me ex corde,
Yours most affectionately in the Lord

Daniel Comboni
Bishop of Claudiopolis i.p.i.
and Vicar Apostolic of Centrale Africa

[4707]
I safely received 150 francs in gold, and I thank you infinitely because they are very useful just now. I am to be ordained Bishop on 12th August, and will be consecrated by His Eminence Cardinal Franchi, assisted by two Archbishops, that is, Mgr Bianchi, Archbishop of Mira and former Apostolic Nuncio at the Royal Court of Bavaria, and Mgr Giovanni dei Conti Folicaldi, Archbishop of Ephesus. The Ambassadors of Austria, France and Belgium will also attend. On that day then, a fervent prayer for me and for Africa. I have received the magnificent Brief, and will send you a copy.
[4708]
Because of the contrary wind, Fr Policarpo and the Sisters had to spend 27 days between Berber and Khartoum. Please offer my respects to Her Royal Highness and to all my dear acquaintances, and commend me to the prayers of your venerable professor colleagues. You would do me a favour by telling Steiner in Vienna of the date of my Consecration.
[4709]
On 1st August I will begin the Spiritual Exercises with the Vincentian Fathers in Montecitorio. On the 12th, I will be consecrated a Bishop and will visit the Holy Father, on the 13th I shall leave Rome, and on the 15th, the Assumption, I will celebrate the Pontifical Mass in the wonderful Church of S. Giorgio in Verona.
[4710]
I had to go in to the Cardinal when they were bringing him the packets of letters, to be given the stamps: he promised me that from now on he will put them aside: the letters come from Australia, India, China, etc.
Pax tibi

Tuissimus Daniel Comboni
Episcopus Claudiopolitan. i.p.i.
Vicarius Ap.licus Africae Centralis

[4711]
I am overwhelmed with joy. The Supreme Pontiff has given me all the sacred vestments for pontifical masses which a Bishop needs: a magnificent pectoral cross, a crozier, 5 pontifical volumes with the papal crest, etc., etc. The Pontiff himself is fired with rare love and His Holiness expressed to me the joy of his august heart at my appointment as Bishop and Vicar Apostolic. Thanks be to God.

[4712]
I commend myself to your prayers and to you on the day of my Episcopal consecration, the 12th of this month. I send you two Papal Briefs, one
appointing me Bishop, the second appointing me Vicar Apostolic. Va l e and salve until the kiss of Love, to say it in brief. Greetings to the sublime Bishop.
Tuissimus

+ Daniel Comboni
Bishop of Claudiopolis i.p.i.
Vicar Apostolic of Central Africa


Translated from Latin.

[4713]
I am doing a spiritual retreat with the Vincentian Fathers in Rome to prepare for my Episcopal consecration, which, as you will see overleaf, will take place on the 12th of this month. In September I shall be in France. Hence only a few words. I was happy to receive your dear letter in which you gave me news of Auguste and his dear wife: it gave me great pleasure, but the news of Maria caused me sorrow. I am impatient to come to your house.
[4714]
I shall do all that your dear letter contained. I am infinitely grateful to you for the family ring you intend to give me. If you can, at your convenience, send it to Rome to my address, Via Margana 40 A (in the courtyard where you hired your horse carriage in Rome) in a small packet, so that I can wear it on the day of my consecration.
[4715]
If it is mounted, then you will give it to me when I come to your house. You know that on the Feast of St Anne I always say Mass for you and for Auguste. This year I celebrated it for you and for the young newly weds at Assisi. A thousand best wishes from me to Auguste and to his wife. Pray for
Your most devoted and affectionate

Daniel Comboni
Bishop of Claudiopolis i.p.i.
and Vicar Apostolic of Central Africa.

The Princess of Braganza sends her respects to you and Auguste. She is very pleased to have your news.


Translated from French.

[4716]
I let you know how the Holy Father, in accordance with the full judgement of the Sacred Congregation of Propaganda, appointed me Bishop of Claudiopolis i.p.i. and Vicar Apostolic of Central Africa, and that next Sunday, the 12th of this month, together with another new Archbishop, I shall be consecrated in the Church of Propaganda by His Eminence Cardinal Franchi, assisted by two Archbishops.
[4717]
Oh! If eternal Rome had not obliged me to stay here until the matter was concluded, that is, a year longer than I had calculated, how gladly would I have come to spend 15 days with your dear children, with your angelic wife and with you, who would certainly make me so much happier than I have been, because you know that I sincerely and truly love you. So everything that belongs to you is dear to me, except those places and people with whom you are obliged to deal, that is, the Masonic lodge and the most Masonic municipality.
[4718]
I remember my happiness 15 years ago at Carpegna, at Scavolino, at Penabilla, and on the sunny hills of Montefeltro! Warmly greet your angel of a wife on my behalf, kiss your children most affectionately for me, give my greetings to those Carpegnans who know me, and believe me, until death,
Your Faithful and most affectionate

Daniel Comboni
Bishop of Claudiopolis
Vicar apostolic of Central Africa.

[4719]
Yesterday evening, having returned from the Spiritual Exercises I found a hotchpotch of letters from the whole of Europe, and I found your magnificent missal. I have not yet been able to read the letters; but yours, yes. A thousand thanks for such a magnificent gift. Tomorrow at 8.00, I and a colleague of mine appointed Archbishop and Apostolic Delegate to Peru will be consecrated by the Most Eminent Cardinal Franchi, assisted by two Archbishops. The day after tomorrow, I shall leave for Verona, where on the 15th I will celebrate Pontifical Mass at S. Giorgio.
[4720]
I invite you to attend with Mitterrutzner and Fr Luciano, who is here. And don’t tell me you have the college. Come to Verona in the morning and you will leave in the evening. Pontifical Mass, lunch and the railway. Fr Squaranti, the Superior and the Vicar of the Devout Mothers of Africa are here in Rome. My Cardinal was happy they had come.
[4721]
Tomorrow, after the Consecration, I will present them all to the Pope, who has given me magnificent gifts which I will show you, including a magnificent pectoral cross with a gold chain, a magnificent ring with a box which bears the papal crest, a magnificent Pastoral staff all in silver with the papal crest, a superb stole, etc., etc., etc.
I have no time.
Tuissimus

Daniel,
Bishop of Claudiopolis i.p.i.,
Vicar Apostolic of Central Africa

[4722]
I declare in conscience and as the pure truth that when in Aden, Arabia, I accepted young Antonio Dobale who is now a student at the Pontifical Urban College of Propaganda Fide (which was in January 1861) the said boy was already more than ten years old. This was my opinion, the opinion of the Prefect Apostolic of Aden at the time, and the opinion of all his companions, ransomed slaves, all young intelligent and wide-awake boys. This, I repeat, I assert as the pure truth.
As I ask you to greet my four African sons, I declare myself with all respect and affectionate esteem,
Yours most affectionately and devotedly in the Lord

+ Daniel Comboni
Bishop of Claudiopolis i.p.i,
Vicar Apostolic of Central Africa

[4723]
I was really pleased to receive your letter of the 28th of this month. Here are three visiting cards: after my return from Brixen I took medicine quotidie. Yesterday, the first time that I ate meat, I vomited it all: I hope gradually to recover my strength. Fr Policarpo has arrived in Kordofan. Everyone here, and his Eminence, send you their cordial greetings. Fr Grego is still in Recoaro.
[4724]
Quotidie benedicam te ab universo mundo, et tu ora pro me. Salutem et reverentiam to the most illustrious angel of the Diocese, Mgr Gasser, to the English Sisters, tuis confratribus, and to the most reverend Abbot Neustift.
The life of Fessler was dear to Fr Squaranti. It will be to Fr Grego. Va l e and salve.

Tuissimus in aeternum

+ Daniel Ep.pus et Vic. ap.